Alternative music, cult films, and pop culture explored through a Gen X lens — with reviews, interviews, and a deep-dive podcast.
Albums Revisited: The Cure’s ‘Wish’ Turns 25: a look back on the band’s best-selling, yet oddly overlooked 1992 album on its 25th anniversary. 1992 saw a musical landscape still basking in the sounds of Seattle. Thanks to Nirvana’s Nevermind, grunge and heavy alt-rock were the flavor of the day, making the alternative college music scene quite […]
Review: Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return Is A Beautiful Thing: MST3K The Return may have some new faces, but the original spirit of the show is intact in the 2017 Netflix reboot. It doesn’t stink. When I had the amazing pleasure of interviewing Mystery Science Theater 3000’s (aka MST3K) Joel Hodgson back in 2013, I […]
Royal Thunder ‘Wick’ Review: Atlanta rockers continue refining their unique blend of moody, anthemic metal. [rating=4] Atlanta’s Royal Thunder proved a revelation on their 2015 release Crooked Doors. That album showed a quantum leap in development of the group’s moody and muscular brand of hard rock. It also cemented Mlny Parsonz as one of the […]
Peter Hook and The Light Give Details For Live Album Series: Bassist announces tracklists for four concert albums featuring New Order and Joy Division material. Iconic New Order and Joy Division bassist Peter Hook is set to release four-albums of concert recordings on May 5th. The releases (available on CD and for digital download), features Hook and his […]
Concert Review: Bryan Ferry at ACL Live: the suave master of glam and sophisto-pop wows at rare Texas show [rating=5] Opening with the pulsating and sensual 1982 Roxy Music track The Main Thing, Bryan Ferry came out guns blazing for his March 22nd performance at ACL Live. Backed by a 9 piece band and an […]
The Jesus and Mary Chain ‘Damage and Joy’ Review: the Reid brother’s successfully reconjure their signature sound on long-awaited reunion disc. [rating=4] Tryna win your interest back/But you ain’t having none of that/You’re just like a ship in a bottle/Kiss today but fuck tomorrow/I don’t know, I guess that we’re all through. That’s the opening […]
Depeche Mode ‘Spirit’ Review: electronic music icons get political on bleak new album. [rating=3.5] We are the bigots, we have not evolved/we have no respect, we have lost control. That’s the opening line to Going Backwards, the brooding first track off Depeche Mode’s 14th studio album Spirit. Even for a band known for moodiness, it’s an especially dour […]
Another Million Dollars Gone… New York’s finest on a goddamned coffee break–James Ray’s Gangwar’s ‘Dios Esta De Nuestro Lado’ hits 25 By: Peter Marks We’d been anxiously awaiting this one well before it arrived; preceded by two singles and on the auspicious (later to become odious) Merciful Release label, this was an album which did […]
Hope and Despair: Reexamining U2’s The Joshua Tree and Pop. March marks the 30th anniversary of U2’s ‘The Joshua Tree’ and 20th anniversary of ‘Pop.’ Our own Dave Dierksen delves into both albums political relevancy and respective legacies. By David Dierksen This month, two records by the rock and roll behemoth we call U2 celebrate […]
Tyson Meade Talks 25th Anniversary of Chainsaw Kittens Flipped Out in Singapore: a look back at a cult classic 90s alternative gem (featured image photo credit: Dylan Johnson) Norman Oklahoma’s Chainsaw Kittens were the best kept secret of 90s alternative rock. The group, led by theatrical frontman Tyson Meade, crafted an infectious mix of glam, […]
